The Soviets published the concept of the Tu-144 in an article in the January 1962 issue of the magazine Technology of the Air Transport. The Soviet air ministry started development of the Tu-144 on 26 July 1963, following approval by the Soviet Council of Ministers ten days earlier. The plan called for five flying prototypes to be built in four years. The plan was to have the first aircraft ready to fly by 1966. __
